Greenville Entrepreneur To Talk About Life With Mental Illness

Many people only know Nichole Livengood as a vibrant, creative, serial entrepreneur, who is also a “good mom.” Others know there’s more to the Travelers Rest resident, she said. They know her as a person who lives with mental illness. Livengood has talked about being bipolar on her blog, Gap Creek Gourmet, for years. On May 24, she’ll talk about it on a panel with other women who, like herself, are succeeding in their careers while dealing with a diagnosed mental illness. The event, “Breaking the Silence on Women’s Mental Health,” is being held in observance of National Mental Health Awareness, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Greenville. Livengood also hopes the event will benefit women who are suffering from mental illness in silence. She wants them to know that not only do they have nothing to be ashamed of, but that they can deal with it and move forward. Livengood’s genetic diagnosis came while she was in her late 20s. She views it like any other medical issue.